HISTORIC LECTURE SERIES 2026-2027
Join us for a series of engaging lunch and dinner lectures by renowned scholars in the field of Western History. Buy your tickets today! Tickets go fast! Visit www.thefort.com (under the Happenings tab).
EARLY SERIES ENROLLMENT
Register for all 10 lectures by Wednesday, September 30, and enjoy the final lecture as our gift to you.
Early Series Enrollment LUNCH - Buy 10 for the price of 9
Early Series Enrollment DINNER - Buy 10 for the price of 9
The National Western Stock Show: Denver's Stockyards and the People Who Led Them
Keith Fessenden
October 18, 2026
In this talk, Keith brings to life the intertwined histories of the National Western Stock Show and the Denver Union Stockyards, tracing their long-standing partnership and the leaders who shaped the National Western Stock Show for more than a century. Audiences will learn how the National Western earned its reputation as the “Super Bowl of Stock Shows” and why its story remains vital to Denver, Western agriculture, and the livestock industry.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person
MENU: Brisket and grits, Fort Garden Salad, and dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Fort Garden Salad, 7 oz. Gonzales steak with mashed potatoes and Dixon red chile on the side, seasonal vegetables, peach melba à la mode.
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
Keith Fessenden
Keith Fessenden is a Colorado native who grew up in mining towns across Colorado and northeastern Utah, earned a degree in agricultural economics from Utah State University, and retired from a federal government career in 2011. A dedicated volunteer at the National Western Stock Show since 1994, he has served as its Archivist/Historian since 2012. His research and presentations focus on genealogy, Western U.S. history, the National Western Stock Show, and related topics, and he is a life member of several historical and genealogical organizations. Keith enjoys exploring rock art and historic sites throughout the West and is currently writing a biography of Samuel Henry Gilson.
HOLLY ARNOLD KINNEY
Holly was raised at The Fort, and helped lay the adobe bricks, with her brother Keith in 1963-1968. She owned an international PR firm from 1981-2003. She purchased the Fort business in 1999, and operated the restaurant and created the Tesoro Cultural Center, a 501 c3 non-profit until Jan. 6, 2026.
She’s an award-winning cookbook author, speaker, and restaurateur. Holly was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award from Visit Denver; Hall of Fame award from the Colorado Restaurant Association, National Historic Preservation medal from the NSDAR, and Top Woman in Business award by the Denver Business Journal, among other awards. Now retired, she loves spending time with her better half Jeremy and puppy Loki.
RATTLESNAKES, BEARS, AND PRESIDENTS...STORIES FROM THE FORT
Holly Arnold Kinney
November 1, 2026
Discover how to cook a rattlesnake (including a recipe); How guests at The Fort were kissed by The Fort’s pet bear “Sissy” from 1963-1979, and other bear stories; and in 1997, behind the scenes stories of The Fort officially hosting then President Clinton during the Summit of the Eight. Extra bonus: A history of wild cocktails invented by The Fort founder Sam Arnold with recipes!
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person
MENU: Pork tamales (2/person), Dixon red chile on the side, tortilla chips and salsa, Santa Fe Salad, and dessert.
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Fort Garden Salad, 4 oz Flatiron steak topped with Prairie Butter and rabbit rattlesnake brat, mashed potatoes with Dixon red chile on the side, seasonal vegetables, and Negrita chocolate mousse.
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL: A LOOK AT METEOR SHOWERS AND THE LEONIDS METEOR STORM OF 1833
Ron Hranac
November 15, 2026
Denver Astronomical Society's Ron Hranac will discuss meteors, meteor showers, and the Leonids meteor storm of 1833. Thousands of meteors blazed across the early morning sky of November 13, 1833, as many throughout North America watched one of the most spectacular sights in human history. The event had a significant impact on the Plains Indians who believed this might signal the end of the world. Ron will also share tips on how to observe meteor showers. After dinner, enjoy looking at stars in the night sky, and the planets Jupiter and Saturn, through telescopes in the Fort’s Courtyard, courtesy of the Denver Astronomical Society.
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Fort Garden Salad, Bison ribs (2/person), green chile mac n cheese, seasonal vegetables, pear tart
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
Ron Hranac
Ron Hranac is a member of Denver Astronomical Society's Board of Directors, and is a past president of the organization. Ron is a retired telecommunications engineer and a long-time amateur astronomer. He enjoys sharing views of the day and night sky with others through telescopes and binoculars. Ron has given presentations on astronomy-related topics at schools, museums, and many other venues along Colorado's Front Range, has been a guest lecturer in the University of Denver's astronomy program, and a facilitator for an astronomy class in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program at DU.
Dr. Brian D. Laslie
Dr. Brian D. Laslie is a professional historian who focuses on air and space issues. A 2001 graduate of The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina and a historian of air and space power studies, Brian received his Masters degree from Auburn University Montgomery in 2006 and his Doctorate in history from Kansas State University in 2013. His first book, The Air Force Way of War: U.S. Tactics and Training after Vietnam (Kentucky, 2015) was published in the Spring of 2015 and landed on the 2016 Chief-of-Staff of the Air Force's Reading List and the 2017 Royal Air Force's Chief of the Air Staff Reading List.
THE ARCHITECT OF AIR POWER: GENERAL LAURENCE KUTER
Dr. Brian D. Laslie
January 31, 2027
General Laurence Kuter was an important but unsung pioneer of the USAF whose influence can be found in every stage of the development of an independent US Air Force. From his early years at West Point to his days at the Air Corps Tactical School to his leadership role at NORAD, General Kuter was the quintessential "behind the scenes man." While his story and history are important to the USAF, the state of Colorado also bears witness to his legacy!
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on December 1, 2026)
MENU: Mountain Man burger bar, sweet potato and regular fries, coleslaw, and dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on December 1, 2026)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Caesar salad, 6 oz. beef sirloin and quail with huckleberry, Fort potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and chocolate chile bourbon cake
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
JOHN M. CHIVINGTON AND THE SAND CREEK MASSACRE: A LESSON IN POOR LEADERSHIP
Dr. Courtney A. Short
February 7, 2027
On November 29, 1864, Colonel John M. Chivington, a Methodist minister, political hopeful, and military officer, led the 1st and 3rd Colorado Volunteers in an attack on peace-seeking Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes camped at Sand Creek. The resulting massacre ignited disdain and shock from the local population and federal officials. Who was Colonel Chivington and how did the decisions of one man lead to a such a violent event? Join us for a close examination of Chivington as a leader and a discussion that will shed light on the importance of maintaining moral character and competency when in a position of authority.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on December 1, 2026)
MENU: Chipotle chicken salad with rolls, sweet potato fries, mixed green salad, dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on December 1, 2026)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Fort Garden Salad, Shepards pie with ground bison, Spotted Dog à la mode
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
DR. COURTNEY A. SHORT
Dr. Courtney A. Short holds a PhD in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and specializes in military, U.S., and East Asian history. She is the author of Uniquely Okinawan: Determining Identity During the U.S. Wartime Occupation (Fordham University Press, 2020) and a contributor to The Worst Military Leaders (Reaktion Books, 2022). Her forthcoming chapter on Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway will appear in "From the Jaws of Defeat: Case Studies in American Military Leadership" (University of Oklahoma Press, 2027). Her research has been featured internationally in documentaries, podcasts, and educational programs, and she hosts the seven-part video series History Shorts.
CHANÉ MARIE L. POLO
Originally from Italy, Chané Polo spent her early years on a horse farm near Venice before moving to her family's ranch in Paris, Texas. She is the Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, where she has worked since 2016, advancing water policy, advocacy, and collaboration across Colorado. Chané earned a B.A. in Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and both an M.A. in Environment and Natural Resources and a J.D. with an Energy concentration from the University of Wyoming. She is active in state and national water leadership, including serving on the State Executives Council of the National Water Resources Association.
BRINGING TOGETHER VOICES IN WATER
Chané Marie L. Polo
February 21, 2027
Colorado’s history is shaped by conflicts over water, a resource that is increasingly scarce and vital to many competing interests. Since 1958, the Colorado Water Congress has brought together water professionals, policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to foster collaboration, build consensus, and advance fair, effective water policy through education and dialogue across Colorado and the West.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on December 1, 2026)
MENU: Pork ribs (3), coleslaw, campfire beans, dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on December 1, 2026)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Santa Fe Salad, Cha Cha Chicken topped with tomatillo sauce, mashed potatoes with Dixon red chile on the side, season vegetables, fruits of the forest pie à la mode.
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AMERICAN INDIAN TREATIES ON THE FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO 1860-1870
Richard B. Williams
March 21, 2027
Richard Williams will provide the audience with the truth about the treaties of Fort Laramie 1851, the Treaty of Fort Wise 1861, the Treaty of the Little Arkansas River 1965 and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Each of these Treaties had significant errors and contained significant fraud and land theft. He will answer the question, why are there NO American Indian reservations on the Front Range or Eastern Plains of Colorado.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Mac 'n' cheese bar with wild game sausages, Fort Garden salad, dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Fort Garden Salad, 4oz. venison chop with huckleberries and wild boar hatch chile sausage, Fort potatoes, seasonal vegetables, pomegranate pannacotta.
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
RICHARD B. WILLIAMS
Richard B. Williams is Oglala Lakota and Cheyenne and is a prominent educator and historian. Rick has a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Wyoming and a BA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Rick has worked at the Native American Rights Fund, the University of Colorado-Boulder, and is the past CEO of the American Indian College Fund. Rick is currently the President of the People of the Sacred Land and was the managing editor of the Truth Restoration and Education Commission, a report that addressed the legal and political history of Native Nations in Colorado.
MARÍA E. MONTOYA
María E. Montoya is Professor of History at New York University and former Dean of Arts and Sciences at NYU Shanghai. A Yale graduate, she is a former President of the Western History Association, a Fellow of the American Antiquarian Society, and serves on the Board of Editors of the Journal of American History. Her research focuses on labor, environmental, Latine, and Western history, particularly how workers and families have used natural resources to build livelihoods and communities in the American West. She is the author of Translating Property and lead author of Global Americans, and her new book, A Workplace of Their Own: Roche, Rockefeller, and Labor’s Battle over Industrial Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2026), examines work, home, and industrial democracy in the early twentieth century.
A WORKPLACE OF THEIR OWN: COLORADO MINERS' QUEST FOR PROPERTY & INDEPENDENCE 1914-1940
María E. Montoya
April 11, 2027
The 1914 Ludlow Massacre was the culmination of decades of industrial violence that had plagued Colorado's mining communities from Telluride to Trinidad. The deaths of eighteen women and children, who were found in an underground pit smothered by smoke inhalation, gripped a nation and brought shame upon the Rockefeller Family. Yet, this tragedy and the promises to never let it happen again were not enough to truly reform the working conditions of the Colorado mines. This talk looks at the varying attempts to reform the miners' workplace and the ultimate failure that led to the Columbine Massacre in 1927, which left more miners dead and families destitute.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Taco bar with shredded chicken and ground beef, chips and salsa, dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Santa Fe Salad, Spanish chicken and chorizo rice, seasonal vegetable, Crema Catalana
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
THE WESTERNERS: MYTHMAKING AND BELONGING ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER
Megan Kate Nelson
April 25, 2027
Over the nineteenth century, the American West took shape as diverse communities grew and flourished, even as a frontier myth celebrated white settlers and individualism while erasing their contributions. In this talk, Pulitzer Prize finalist Megan Kate Nelson draws on her 2026 book, The Westerners, to explore the individual and federal actions that created these cultural tensions. She introduces figures including Sacajawea, Jim Beckwourth, and Polly Bemis, highlighting the varied ways they forged lives and identities in the West. Dr. Nelson also discusses the sources she used to uncover the lived experiences of the men and women who helped build the American West.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, fries, dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Santa Fe Salad, Stuffed peppers with wild boar chorizo and lime crema and Mexican cheeses, tri-color carrots, Tres Leches cake
For special seating and dietary requests, please email mcarrillo@thefort.com.
MEGAN KATE NELSON
Born and raised in Colorado, Megan Kate Nelson is a historian and writer based in Boston, with a BA from Harvard and a PhD in American Studies from the University of Iowa. She is the author of five books, including The Westerners (Scribner, 2026) and Saving Yellowstone (2022). Her writing on the Civil War, The American West, and U.S. culture has appeared in The New York times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, Slate, and Time. She is also co-founder of Drafting the Past, a new media platform focused on history nonfiction writing and publishing, launching in October 2026.
RACHEL S. GROSS
Rachel S. Gross is a historian of the outdoor industry, author of Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America (Yale University Press, 2024) and co-editor of Big Box USA: The Environmental Impact of America’s Biggest Retail Stores (University of Wyoming Press, 2024). She is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Colorado Denver where she teaches U.S. gender, business, and public history.
BUCKSKIN: THE ORIGINS OF OUTDOOR STYLE
Rachel S. Gross
May 2, 2027
Before there was an outdoor industry that catered to Americans’ growing interest in pursuing outdoor leisure, there were a handful of nineteenth-century guidebook authors who set expectations about what a back-to-nature experience would look like. These emerging experts of recreation—white men who claimed special insider knowledge by virtue of their connections with the country’s native past—argued that dress for specialized outdoor activities ought to be functional and fall in line with prevailing notions of class status and manhood. Buckskin was the first of many costumes for the outdoors that become naturalized as a part of white men’s frontier past, erasing the very histories of the Native peoples that it purported to honor.
LUNCH LECTURE
TIME: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM (Lunch lecture from 11 am to 12 noon, followed by lunch)
COST: $39/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Barbeque beef brisket sliders, jicama coleslaw, sweet potato fries with chipotle honey aioli, dessert
DINNER LECTURE
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Lecture from 6-7 pm, followed by dinner)
COST: $79/person (Tickets will be available for purchase on February 1, 2027)
MENU: Guacamole and chips and salsa for an appetizer; Fort Garden Salad, 4 oz. salmon with 5 oz. buffalo sirloin, mashed potatoes with mild Gonzales sauce, seasonal vegetables, seasonal crème brûlée.